Lukas Barbutev, M.Sc.

Junior Researcher Media Concentration

Lukas Barbutev has been a Junior Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI) since April 2026. He is responsible for the German branch of the Global Media & Internet Concentration Project (GMICP) within Research Programme 2 “Regulatory Structures and Governance in Digital Communication Spaces” (RP2), led by Dr. Tobias Mast.

Before this, he was involved in the project as a student research assistant for two and a half years. He recently served as lead author of the German country report published as part of the GMICP.

His research focuses on media economics, examining global market concentration, the market power of digital platforms, and their impact on the structural evolution of media ecosystems.

Lukas Barbutev studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at the University of Hamburg; in his master’s thesis, he conducted a quantitative study on the digital transformation of major German publishing houses.

Contact information

Lukas Barbutev, M.Sc.

Junior Researcher Media Concentration

Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)
Warburgstraße 30 B
20354 Hamburg
Germany

l.barbutev@leibniz-hbi.de

Veröffentlicht am: 01.04.2026

Works by Lukas Barbutev, M.Sc.

Review of a Dissertation

Government Public Relations in New Media

For years, the democratic legitimacy of government public relations has been a topic of discussion in academic literature and constitutional jurisprudence. Tobias Mast reviews a recently published dissertation on the subject, exploring the untapped potential of interdisciplinary legal scholarship in relation to commonly accepted empirical assumptions.

Article for Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

Platform Badges for Civic Communication

Digital platforms have become central infrastructures for political communication and social negotiation processes. In his article, Jan Rau examines platform badges, which are tools that platforms use to fulfill their obligation to mitigate risk by creating positive incentives for users to adhere to certain communicative norms.

Working Paper for Download

Responsibility in the Platform Quadrangle

This working paper by Tobias Mast comments on the European Court of Justice's recent Russmedia ruling and sets out the premises for a relationship between EU legal acts in the digital single market that respects fundamental rights.

Project with Helmut Schmidt University

Data Collection and Analysis on TikTok and YouTube

In order to develop the best practices for collecting and analyzing data on short video platforms, Gregor Wiedemann's Media Research Methods Lab at the HBI is participating in a Helmut Schmidt University project examining the German Armed Forces' representation on TikTok and YouTube.

Eine Fernbedienung zeigt auf einen Bildschirm mit unscharfen bunten Bildern

International Cooperation Project

Euromedia Ownership Monitor

The Euromedia Ownership Monitor provides policymakers and the general public with in-depth insights into the extent of media ownership transparency in the EU. It was updated in 2025.

Cover of the special issue on datafication, 1/2026, M&K

M&K Issue 1/2026 Published Open Access

On the Datafication of Communication

The special issue of M&K titled "The Datafication of Communication: New Methodological Approaches and Challenges" has been published as Issue 1/2026. The guest editors are Julia Niemann-Lenz, Tim Schatto-Eckrodt, Emese Domahidi, and Merja Mahrt.

Article Published in Handbook

Growing Up in Data-Intensive and Automated (Media) Environments

Dr. Claudia Lampert examines changing usage practices and possible implications for socialization research in the chapter “Growing Up in Data-Intensive and Automated (Media) Environments” of the handbook “Media Socialization in ‘Smart’ Environments. Self- and Social Development in the Context of Datafication and Automation,” edited by Laura Sūna and Wolfgang Reißmann.

Tastatur mit einer goldfarbenen Taste, die ein weißes Abzeichen zeigt

Media Research Blog Post

Algorithmic Amplification of Negative Discourse as a Systemic Risk

How does attention-economy-driven algorithmic amplification of conflict-driven and negative-emotional communication distort public discourse? And does this distortion constitute a systemic risk under the Digital Services Act (DSA)? This blog article refers to our previous blogpost on "Platform Badges for Civic Communication", explains why such interventions are needed, and outlines how they could address these systemic risks.

Safer Internet Day 2026

“He Just Does Everything Right. He’s Simply Smart” – Young People’s Perspectives on AI

AI applications are no longer used just for homework, but also as advisors and conversation partners. This blog post takes a look at young people's experiences with AI and shows that schools and parents often lack opportunities to discuss the role of AI in our daily lives. Safer Internet Day offers a good opportunity to start this conversation.

Cover of the report “Generative AI from the Perspective of Young People”

Publication on Safer Internet Day 2026

Generative AI from the Perspective of Young People

The use of generative AI, especially ChatGPT, is now firmly established among young people online. A study by Kira Thiel, Claudia Lampert and Eleysa Memis explores young people's views on generative AI, highlighting its significance in their daily lives.

Working Paper Available for Download

Public Service Media Enabling Dialogue

For the project “Dialog Formats in Public Service Media,” Magdalena Stratmann conducted a literature analysis on “The Role of Public Service Media as Enablers of Dialogue in Digitalized Societies.” This analysis is now available for download as a working paper.

Vorschau des Artikels von Christian Ollig auf epd Medien

Article for epd Medien

How the Digital Services Act (DSA) Regulates Platforms

U.S. politicians accuse the European Union of endangering freedom of expression with the Digital Services Act (DSA). However, media law expert Dr. Christian Ollig argues that the DSA actually protects users' opinions from arbitrary censorship by platform operators. It also gives users a legal basis to assert their freedom of expression against large platform operators at the European level.

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